March 7, 2016



All the recent news that’s fit to print at Sarasota Sister Cities…………..
 
**important**ANNUAL MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT**important**

11:30am
April 5, 2016
Sarasota Yacht Club
(register & pay at sarasotasistercities.org/payments)


This meeting elects the officers for the coming year and recaps the current year.  Hope to see you there!
 
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR QUESTIONS……
I have been called and emailed, asking where the next two speakers bureau talks will take place.  Although more complete announcements are out, here’s the info you asked for:
 
March 16 (Wednesday)
     OUR SISTER CITY PERPIGNAN
     Emile Langlois, Barbara Frey, Eva Frank & Gloria Grenier
     Meeting Room at the Herald-Tribune Building, 1741 Main St., Sarasota
 
April 20 (Wednesday)
     POLYNESIAN CULTURES OF THE SOUTH PACIFIC
     Ray Young, Ph.D.
     Sarasota Audubon Center, The Celery Fields
     (Presentation and Wine & Cheese Event at the same location)
 
THE ONE WORLD AWARD LUNCHEON last Sunday at Michaels
     Pauline Mitchell outdid herself once again with this spectacular luncheon.  The Board of Directors was impressively bagpiped into the hall.  The military tribute and the tables of uniformed servicemen were wonderful.  It was enjoyable to hear from Dolly Jacobs and Pedro Reis, recipients of the One World Award for their individual talents and the Circus Arts Conservatory.
     The surprise of the luncheon was Gary Reinstrom and the Musicians, and the Riverview H S Highland Dancers.  The enthusiastic Scottish singing and dancing concluded with the Scottish sword dance.  Just great fun!
 
NEW CITY DIRECTOR FOR PERIGNAN, FRANCE.
     Marie des Nieges Grossas (Sorbonne Ph.D.) was approved at the February Board meeting. Welcome Aboard, Marie!
 
VISITING DIGNITARY FROM DUNFERMLINE, SCOTLAND.
     Roz Graham, the Committee Chair for Sister Cities there, visited our February Board meeting, and is working with Pauline Mitchell(our City Director for Dunfermline),  is planning join activities between the two cities.  She also joined us for our One World Award luncheon at Michaels on East last Sunday.
 
NEW MEMBERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
     For the last six months, your SCAS Board has been working on a new Membership Development Program.  We brainstormed and created many ideas for specific thing we could do.  We then narrowed the list to three areas:  attracting members, improving our retention of members, and enhancing our monthly luncheon meetings.  At the moment, each Board member is in the process of choosing and implementing two of these ideas.
     We are working slowly and deliberately, looking to make small but significant improvements.  When we have incorporated the first set of ideas, we will move to a second set, and so on.  We are working to make your experience as a Sister City member a good one! If you have questions, contact Dave Harralson at dharralson7@gmail.com or 941-870-5516.
 
PLAQUES FOR OUR SISTER CITIES IN BAYFRONT PARK.
     GREAT NEWS!  The concrete pedestals for the plaques for each of our Sister Cities have been repositioned and the plaques are being refinished.  The City of Sarasota has been really helpful in this effort.  A new plaque for is being made and installed for Vladimir, Russia.  Also signs are being placed at each end of the tree walk indicating that these plaques commemorate the signings with each of our Sister Cities and indicating our mission.  This job is virtually done.  Excellent job, Ray Young and his committee (Gloria Grenier & Bill Wallace) with some additional help by Kenney DeCamp.
 
 
Dat’s all for now, Folks!  Comments or questions to Dave Harralson, 941-870-5516 or dharralson7@gmail.com

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Nov / Dec 2015



As our membership renewal campaign is in full swing, a number of members have asked me why we no longer have a Newsletter—and have expressed a desire for one.  Nationwide, newsletters have dwindled in the Internet age. Postage and paper are expensive.  We do have a blog, a web site, a Facebook Page, a Pinterest site, and so on where you can go to see our latest activities, pictures, by-laws, and so on.  And these sites are doing an excellent job.  But maybe you members would like more regular communication to be pushed directly to you????

What follows IS NOT a newsletter, but it is modeled on the local info@srqmagazine.com and info@biz941.com idea.  Short snippets of what is going on in the Sarasota Sister City world sent to you as things happen.

At this point, this is not an official organ of Sarasota Sister Cities.  It is strictly what strikes Dave Harralson, your Membership VP, as being newsworthy. At this point info@sarasotasistercities is strictly unofficial—and may or may not last.  We’re just trying out something new.



***** NOVEMBER / DECEMBER, 2015  ISSUE *****


NEW MEMBERSHIPS AND RENEWALS

Your Membership Vice President is calling or emailing each of you to tell you we have received your check or PayPal statement.  But remember……..it takes a while for your check to get from City Hall to our new office in the Federal Building.  Then the treasurer has to pick up your checks / PayPal, log them, forward them to me, and ONLY THEN can I let you know they have been received.  Thanks for your patience.


THE PASSING OF RON GOSSETT

Board member Ron Gossett suddenly became ill this last summer and passed away on October 9 after a short illness.  Ron organized the Playwriting Festival we sponsor with Florida Studio Theatre and was a board member of Sister Cities International.  He will be greatly missed—and we send our warm regards to his wife, Shirley.


OUR LECTURE SERIES/SPEAKERS BUREAU 

We began this Sister City lecture series last Fall, and it has been a bit hit so far.  Talks on everything from Sarasota history, the creation of perfumes, to the relationship of the Sarasota Jewish community to Israel (and particularly our sister city, Tel Mond). 

They will begin again in the New Year, and each is followed by a Meet & Greet, a social hour where we can discuss the talk over wine and munchies.  You will receive specific details about locations before each event.  Hope to see you there!


Feb. 8 – Flub-dub and Farfetchedness:  China Behind the
Travel Posters

Mar. 16 – France:  A Tale of Two Cities—Paris and Perpignan

Apr. 20 – Polynesian Cultures of the South Pacific



A NEW SISTER CITY FROM SWITZERLAND?

New sister cities are not suggested—and immediately accepted.  Getting a new sister city is a courtship process.  After both Sarasota and a candidate city visit back and forth, determine likenesses that would insure a successful twinning, a city then becomes a “Friendship City.” Sarasota and our potential sister city are engaged, but not yet married. 

We explore possible educational, tourist, cultural, and economic development exchanges and activities.  Is there enough interest in Sarasota to support a prospective new sister city?  Is the foreign city strongly interested in contributing to the success of this twining.  Only then, after this long process, is a city recommended for twinning with us.
I tell you all this to let you know that we have made a new friend.  Under the careful tutelage of Primo and Ruth Bader and the Swiss-American Club,  Rapperswil-Jona has been proposed as a new friendship city from Switzerland.
Welcome Nelly Camardo, Provisional City Director for Rapperswil-Jona and Charlotte Hull, Assistant City Director.


SISTER CITY PLAQUES IN BAYFRONT PARK ARE CRUMBLING?!?!

On Island Park, a part of Bayfront Park, A tree has been planted by the city each time we twinned with new Sister City.  Each tree has a plaque in front of it telling which Sister City it was planted for and the date. 

A recent letter from the city suggested that the plaques before each tree were in bad shape.  To that end, Ray Young (chair), Gloria Grenier, Dave Harralson, and Bill Wallace visited Island Park to examine the condition of the plaques.
We found that as the trees have grown, their roots are pushing the plaques (on a concrete base) out of the ground, and most of them are now askew.  Our committee has suggested that the City reseat the plaques.  We have offered to replace the one plaque that is missing.  Some on the committee even suggested that a small sign be mounted at each end of the walk indicating that this is the Sarasota Sister Cities Walk of Trees.  Stay tuned for what happens……………..


A NEW SISTER CITY OFFICE

Office space has grown increasingly tight at City Hall, but the city manager (with the strong encouragement of Kenney DeCamp) has found us a new office in the old, beautiful Federal Building at the corner of Ringling Blvd. and Orange.

We now have a much larger office with storage space. We moved in late October. Thanks for your effort Kenney.

WHEN I COLLECT A LITTLE MORE NEWS, YOU’LL HEAR FROM ME AGAIN!   THAT IS—IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM ME AGAIN!

David Harralson
VP Membership




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December 10, 2015



What’s going on in Sister Cities ?

What’s going on in Sister Cities ?  With all the Holiday preparations and parties, I’ll keep it brief………….

NEW OFFICERS
      Many of last year’s officers are carrying over into this year, but we do have three new officers who were approved at the last Board meeting:
       Sue Gordon, Secretary                       
       Anna Madaschi, City Director,  Treviso Province, Italy
       Gloria Grenier, VP Arts & Culture (Ron Gossett’s former position)

TEL MOND DANCERS RETURN (Feb. 15-19)
      The Tel Mond Dancers will return to Sarasota for another visit on Wednesday, February 17 and will give a performance with the Perlman Institute at Riverview High School, probably at 7:30pm.  At a luncheon at the Bird Key Yacht Club on Feb. 19, the mayor of Tel Mond will speak.  For more information, contact Tel Mond city director, Linda Rosenbluth (lhr18@verizon.net)

RE-SIGNING WITH MERIDA, MEXICO
      Every three years in Mérida, our newest Sister City, municipal elections bring in a new group of city officials.  To encourage the new officials to recognize our relationship and develop it further, Sarasota Sister Cities is going to have a symbolic re-signing of our agreement, both in Sarasota and Mérida in January.
          This will help us maintain the momentum that began when an economic development team visited us last Spring and a delegation of 20 visited Mérida in late January, 2015.  Our city director, Michael “Miguelito” Fehily, is heading up this effort (mike@mpfehily.com).

WHAT IS AN ALLIANCE MEMBER?
          Alliance Members are community groups we work with to help us accomplish specific projects.  Two of our strongest Alliance Members are the Alliance Francaise and the Jewish Federation.  Interaction with Alliance Members has ebbed and flowed over the years.  We are working now to reestablish bonds with those groups that work with us.  We will then include them more prominently in our activities.
          If you are a member of a community organization you think might be a good community partner with Sister Cities, please contact our VP for Membership, Dave Harralson (dharralson7@gmail.com).

Comments or questions? Contact Dave Harralson

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November 2015 Newsletter

Sarasota Sister Cities Newsletter
November 2015

THE PASSING OF RON GOSSETT
Board member Ron Gossett suddenly became ill this last summer and passed away on October 9 after a short illness.  This last May, Ron organized the Playwriting Festival we sponsor with Florida Studio Theatre and was a newly-reelected board member of Sister Cities International.  He will be greatly missed—and we send our warm regards to his wife, Shirley.

OUR LECTURE SERIES…….  We began this Sister City lecture series last Fall, and it has been a big hit so far.  Talks on everything from Sarasota history, the creation of perfumes, to the relationship of the Sarasota Jewish community to Israel (and particularly our sister city, Tel Mond).

They will begin again in the New Year, and each is followed by a Meet & Greet, a social hour where we can discuss the talk over wine and munchies.  You will receive specific details before each event.

Jan. 19 – The Origins of the First Five Books of the Torah/Old Testament.

Feb. 10 – Flub-dub and Farfetchedness:  China Behind the Travel Posters

Mar. 16 – France:  A Tale of Two Cities—Paris and Perpignan

Apr. 20 – Polynesian Cultures of the South Pacific

A NEW SISTER CITY?
New sister cities are not suggested—and immediately accepted.  Getting a new sister city is a lengthy courtship process.  After both Sarasota and a candidate city visit each other, determine likenesses that would insure a successful twinning, a city then becomes a “Friendship City.” Sarasota and our potential sister city are engaged, but not yet married.

We explore possible educational, tourist, cultural, and economic development exchanges and activities.  Is there enough interest in Sarasota to support a prospective new sister city?  Is the foreign city has to be strongly interested in contributing to the success of this twining.  Only then, after this long, thoughtful process, is a city recommended for twinning with us.

I tell you all this to let you know that we have made a new friend.  Under the careful tutelage of Primo and Ruth Bader and the Swiss-American Club,  Rapperswil-Jona has been proposed as a new friendship city from Switzerland.

SISTER CITY PLAQUES IN BAYFRONT ARE CRUMBLING?!?!
In Bayfront Park, there is a sidewalk where a tree has been planted by the city for each of our new sister cities.  Each tree has a plaque in front of it telling which sister city it was planted for and the date.

A recent letter from the city suggested that the plaques before each tree were in bad shape.  To that end, Ray Young (chair), Gloria Grenier, Dave Harralson, and Bill Wallace visited Bayfront to examine the condition of the plaques.

We found that as the trees have grown, their roots are are pushing the plaques (on concrete bases) out of the ground and most of them are now askew.  Our committee has suggested that the City reseat the plaques.  We have offered to replace the one plaque that is missing.  Some on the committee even suggested that a small sign be mounted at each end of the walk indicating that this is the Sarasota Sister Cities Walk of Trees.  Stay tuned for what happens……………….

A NEW SISTER CITY OFFICE
Office space has grown increasingly tight at City Hall, but the city manager (with the strong encouragement of Kenney DeCamp) has found us a new office in the old but beautiful Federal Building at the corner of Ringling Blvd. and

We now have a much larger office with storage space.   We moved in late October.  Thanks for your effort Kenney.

WHEN I COLLECT A LITTLE MORE NEWS, YOU’LL HEAR FROM ME AGAIN!   THAT IS—IF YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM ME AGAIN!


More info at:

​Blog        sarasotasistercities.com
Web        sarasotasistercities.org









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2013 - 2015

From 2013 until 2015 we used our blogs and social media as our Newsletter.
The following addresses are used by Sarasota Sister Cities

Web...............sarasotasistercities.org 

 photossarasotasistercities.blogspot.com





The following blogs were used by Sarasota Sister Cities. Some of them are still in use today, others are of value for the history of the organization.

Sister City Blogs
Sustainable Economic Development
Photos
Communication / Social Media
videossarasotasistercities.blogspot.com
Miscellaneous

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Summer 2012

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Spring 2012

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